Dazhai Rice Terrace Hiking Routes

Longji Rice Terrace Field (Dragon Back Terrace) in Guilin is more and more popular to visitors from all over the world; it has been built in the mountains altitude 300m to 1100m year by year within 700 years till now. It has 13 villages and two minority nationalities stay here, they are Zhuang and Yao people. Dazhai is one of the 13 villages; its residents are Red Yao people, a branch of Yao minority nationality. They are called Red Yao because of their clothing - red coat and black pleated skirt is their representative dressing. The 66-square-km network irrigation project was began by the ethnic Yao people in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), and finished by the Qing (1644-1911).

If one has one or two nights spend in Longsheng, Jinkeng(Dazhai village) is absolutely the best village to visit. As of 2014, it is the one and only village with cable cars and it is very large as is the scale of terraces.The entrances to the village and to the ticket booth for the cable cars are both near the parking lot. Upon entering the gate, one needs to cover a short distance away there is a wind rain bridge. Go across the bridge and the climbing starts.

There are three viewpoints. The viewpoint #3 is the arrival place of cable cars, offering a nice panorama view. While climbing up to the viewpoint #3, hikers will pass viewpoint #1 and viewpoint #2, in which different views are offered for photography. One and a half hours to two hours are needed if hiking from the bottom to the mountaintop.
Another mountaintop which is a bit higher up called Tiantou Zhai also offers and awesome view and requires two-hours of climbing time. Photographers can take good pictures there from different angles.